When I get a job do I tell Washington ESD unemployment - reporting requirements?

You absolutely need to report any work immediately to Washington ESD. When you file your weekly claim, there's a section asking about work performed and wages earned during that week. You'll report the hours worked and gross wages, and they'll calculate if you're eligible for partial benefits. Don't stop filing your weekly claims unless you're working full-time and earning over your weekly benefit amount plus the $5 disregard.

be careful with part time work - i made the mistake of not reporting some cash work i did and got hit with an overpayment notice months later. washington esd will find out eventually through wage matching so just be honest from the start

I've been dealing with Washington ESD for months trying to get through to clarify my work reporting requirements. The phone system is impossible - I'll call 50 times and either get busy signals or get disconnected after waiting on hold. Finally found this service called Claimyr that actually got me through to a real person at Washington ESD within an hour. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ showing how it works. Might be worth checking out if you need to speak with someone directly about your specific situation.

The partial benefit calculation is: your weekly benefit amount minus (gross wages minus $5). So if your weekly benefit is $400 and you earn $200 in a week, you'd get $400 - ($200 - $5) = $205 in unemployment benefits for that week. You can work part-time and still collect benefits as long as your earnings don't exceed your weekly benefit amount plus the $5 disregard.

Whatever you do, DON'T stop filing your weekly claims just because you got a job! I made that mistake when I got a temp job thinking I'd restart claims when it ended. Turns out you have to reopen your claim and it's a whole process. Keep filing and reporting your work - that way your claim stays active.

just report the work when you file your weekly claim online. the system will automatically calculate your partial benefits if you qualify. its pretty straightforward once you do it the first time

I've been working part-time while on unemployment for 6 months now. The key things to remember: report ALL work even if it's just a few hours, report gross wages not net, and make sure you're still doing your job search requirements. Washington ESD requires 3 job search activities per week even if you're working part-time.

Make sure you understand what counts as 'work' too. Any work counts - freelance, gig work, odd jobs, everything. I got in trouble for not reporting some Uber driving I did because I thought it didn't count since it was so little money.

Congratulations on the job! The reporting process is really not that complicated once you do it. When you file your weekly claim online, there's a clear section asking about work performed. You enter the dates worked, hours, and gross wages. The system does the math for you to determine your partial benefit amount.

i think the washington esd system is pretty good about partial benefits compared to other states. just be honest about your work and wages and youll be fine. ive been working part time for months while on unemployment with no issues

The most important thing is timing - report the work for the week you actually worked, not when you got hired or when you get paid. So if you work Monday-Friday, you report that work on the weekly claim for that benefit week. Don't wait until you get your paycheck to report it.

If you're unsure about anything, you can also call Washington ESD directly, though getting through can be challenging. I had success using that Claimyr service someone mentioned earlier - they got me connected to an actual person who could answer my questions about work reporting requirements. Really saved me a lot of stress.

Don't overthink it! Just report the work honestly when you file your weekly claim. The worst thing you can do is not report work and then have Washington ESD find out later through wage matching. That's when you get hit with overpayment notices and penalties.

Quick tip: when you report your wages, make sure you're reporting GROSS wages (before taxes), not what you actually take home. I made that mistake early on and had to call to get it corrected.

The system is pretty user-friendly for reporting part-time work. Just remember to keep good records of your hours and wages in case you ever need to verify anything with Washington ESD later.

One more thing - make sure you understand your employer's pay schedule so you know which benefit week to report wages in. If you work week 1 but don't get paid until week 3, you still report those wages for week 1 when you file that weekly claim.

This thread has been really helpful! I'm in a similar situation and was confused about the reporting requirements. Thanks everyone for the clear explanations.

Just wanted to add - if your part-time job ever increases to full-time hours or you start earning more than your weekly benefit amount plus the disregard, that's when you would stop filing weekly claims. But keep documentation in case the job ends and you need to reopen your claim.